Higher Incarceration Rates Linked to Increased Cancer Mortality Rates

(HealthDay News) — Higher incarceration rates are associated with increased county- and state-level cancer mortality rates, according to a study published online in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

Jingxuan Zhao, PhD, MPH, from the American Cancer Society in Atlanta, and colleagues examined the association of county-level jail and state-level prison incarceration rates and cancer mortality rates in the United States.

The researchers found that the second, third, and fourth quartiles of county-level jail incarceration rates were associated with 1.3%, 2.3%, and 3.9% higher county-level cancer mortality rates, respectively, compared with the first quartile (lowest rate) in adjusted analyses. The second, third, and fourth quartiles of state-level prison incarceration rates were associated with 1.7%, 2.5%, and 3.9% higher state-level cancer mortality rates, respectively, compared with the first quartile. For liver and lung cancers, the associations were more pronounced.

“Higher jail and prison incarceration rates were associated with worse cancer mortality in counties and states, suggesting the carceral system may have negative health effects on entire communities,” the authors write.

One author has served on the Flatiron Health Equity Advisory Board.